By ABBY JOHNSTON
Contributing Writer
gamail@dailypennsylvanian.com
Though the economy has recently forced many students to tighten their belts, Penn is still encouraging seniors to give some of their extra cash back to the University.
Yesterday marked the launch of the 2009 Senior Class Gift Drive, "Unite ONine" in which proceeds go toward the Penn Fund, an endowment for undergraduate education. The Penn Fund's purpose is to support future Penn students while maintaining and improving the University's current academic standards.
The fund's goal this year is to reach 71 percent participation, aiming higher than the previous class' record of 68 percent. Last year's goal was set at 65 percent.
Penn President Amy Gutmann spoke at the event, and said she believes the class of 2009 will meet and exceed this target. She is so confident, in fact, that she has pledged to donate $1 for each senior who contributes.
Assistant director of Student Advancement and Class Giving for the Penn Fund Dvorit Mausner claims that the most important aspect of donating is not the amount of the gift, but rather the act of giving.
Mausner, a 2007 alumna, said the idea of the fund is essentially to "pay it forward" and to show support, not to give excessively. In 2008, more than 80 percent of donors gave under $25.
Mausner also points out the importance of establishing recurring gifts, as they are the most effective way to ensure a lasting impact on the Penn community. In particular, the fund supports the four-year pledge for upcoming alumni.
Wharton senior Eamonn O'Callaghan claims that he will give to the fund because of his reverence for the University. "I like the Penn experience, and I want to make other people's experiences at Penn [as good as mine]."
However, some students are opposed to giving more to the University when they feel their cash would be better-appreciated elsewhere.
College senior Yvette Aikins explained, "There are other specific things I want to give it to . I'd rather give to the band, my Bible study group or my high school, which has a lot smaller endowment."
The Penn Fund, however, argues that every student benefits from these contributions.
More than one out of every two students receives financial assistance from the University.
Even for those students who do not receive any aid, only 70 percent of the total cost of attendance is covered by tuition; the remaining 30 percent is compensated for by University funds.
For the rest of the seniors who don't feel strongly either way about contributing to the fund, College senior Susan Garrigle argued, "After paying $40,000 in a year, what's an extra $20?"
